A rarity happens next week: a presidential debate before either party’s convention. Trump probably should not have agreed to the unusual CNN debate this early. If Biden melts down or freezes up, Dems have time to replace him before their official nomination in Chicago.
I would have waited, but where there is a camera and a national audience, you will have a Trump. Trump should want to run against Biden, and more specifically his record, rather than against a player to be named later. Holding the debate this early might be a bad decision.
A fresh new candidate, whom they will not have time to beat up on, could beat Trump. Biden probably cannot. CNN, not known for its honesty and fairness (it famously gave Donna Brazile the debate questions for Hillary ahead of time) keeps changing the rules to favor Biden.
All of Biden’s requests, like CNN being able to mute them (aka Trump), and no audience, have been granted; both are unprecedented. No doubt, with no audience to applaud, leftist reporters will plant questions. And no audience there will make Biden feel at home, just like at one of his campaign rallies.
Biden also made sure that Robert Kennedy Jr., who is polling at 15%, was not included. The debate will seem odd in another way: a campaign centered around a hot porn star, a Baltimore bridge falling into the water, and no Kennedy there.
Biden probably had one request denied, that a team of Visiting Angels be in the wings to show him off stage. CNN, feeling that just adorne.
